Currently constructing Clinton County's first ever and Ohio's second Earthship. The mission of the Ohio Earthship Project is to provide education on alternative building methods and to inspire others. We're working to improve Ohio building codes to allow fellow Ohio'ans an alternative building solution.

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Saturday, December 13, 2008

Earthship Construction has begun April 2, 2008

The tires have been aligned in the layout that has been chosen for our Eathship Biotecture structure. There will be one large 30’w x 24’depth display room with a greenhouse glass front. Each side of the ship near the greenhouse front will have an entrance to the west and east social areas. Located outside the Earthship store surrounded by adobe type walls staggering down to allow our friends and customers an open view of the fields.

So far we have excavated and laid the tires out ready for pounding dirt. Still in the tire collection process now. We need to pick out 16" or 17" tires about the same size to keep wall foundation level for top plates (treated wood that sits under roof trusses). I thought about having RUMPKE deliver a truckload of tires. Once all the tires are collected we can really start to build. Next step before completing tire packing is to lay a 2’ wide steal pipe, 16’long, 8’ deep under the main Earthship room. The ends will have 45-degree elbows going towards the back wall into each corner’s of the room. There will be a fan added to one end of the pipes coming out of the ground from the tube. The fan can be turned on for natural cooling using the earth’s 58-degree thermal temperature to cool the earthship during hot summers. CHEAP AIR CONDITION!!

Once the serious work has begun packing tires, we should be off in a good start. Hopefully we can gather up enough help for a week to have all tires packed within 10 days. This may involve finding Hispanic labor if friends cannot help out. But who knows maybe someone will drop a crew on us. As of know its Kym packing all those tires by herself due to my bad back. After the tires are complete we can begin filling tires gaps with pop cans and concrete. Then start on the roof. Which will be explained later, but easily built with a lean too look with sheet metal roofing.

So wish us luck and good health to get this done soon. Good thing it doesn’t have to be completely done until 2009 summer for our first Lavender Festival, hopefully.